Nelson racers with wind in their sails
Noah Malpot continued his run of impressiveWASZP results with fourth place in the hotly contested youth category of the International WASZP Games held in Australia. Photo: Supplied.
Nelson sailors Noah Malpot and Dave Shaw were in top form as they took on the world's best at the International WASZP Games.
Racing near Melbourne last week, the pair made impressive strides in their respective categories, with Dave winning the Masters title and finishing 29th overall.
While Noah came in fourth in the youth category, with his 15th overall place an impressive performance for the young sailor against over 90 other entrants in the fleet.
The strong youth scene in the sport is driven by the alternative pathway associated with SailGP, an international sailing competition formed in 2019 that races in F50 foiling catamarans similar to America's Cup boats, with New Zealand's team helmed by Peter Burling.
The series travels around the world, with a Grand Prix stop in Christchurch, where Noah qualified for the WASZP Grand Final in San Francisco, which he raced in earlier this year.
With a large group of sailors over the age of 40 who love the travel, family atmosphere and going fast. Dave also had his work cut out for him.
But, the 2019 A Class World Champion showed his winning mentality to finish just ahead of fellow Kiwi George Wills from Mount Pleasant Yacht Club in Christchurch.